


One ticket from here to hell's half acre and back, please

by Arejare



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, Alternate Universe - Underlust, Error is an even bigger jerk, Gaster is somehow broken?, Gen, Interspace, Lust!Sans is a jerk, Multiverse, Multiverse Adventures, Not really a relationship, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Some angst, also some gore later, back-to-back stroy, or simply himself, ship like friendship, strings are a dangerous thing, traveling through the multiverses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-09-21 22:45:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9570044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arejare/pseuds/Arejare
Summary: What happen if you decide to follow a writer into the Multiverse?What happen if you stay for too long?What happen if you fall into an unknown AU… and get caught?What happen if ERROR plays his strings?How long do you survive?





	1. I've got lost a bit

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Beach Time Fun](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/261779) by Writer of Universes. 



> This story is a kind of collaboration with the dearest Writer of Universes. One Chapter by her, one by me.  
> So... If you want to know how this all have started you have to read the inspiration in the link above first.
> 
> I mean, you CAN jump right into the story, no worry and it's still all comprehensible... but you would get it a bit better what's going on.
> 
> Ah yes... One last thing: English isn't my native language and this piece (first chapter) is my really first attempt to write in it. I edited it later, but i'm afraid there a still enough mistakes to make a native speaker cringe. Sorry for that!

With a low „Uff“ which had squeezed the air out of my lungs I landed on an old green and worn out couch. I needed a moment, until I was able to concentrate myself to more than to get some air into my convulsed lungs. Suddenly I became aware where I had seen this specific green couch once... Also the wooden ceiling with the warm pine tone on which I stared. With an anxious feeling in my chest, that wasn’t caused by my fall, I let my eyes, and them only, turn to my left. As expected, my look get caught by a switched off flat-panel TV and on the right side to it by an old sock with a bunch of sticky notes attached to it, which are climbing up to the wall. On the left were stairs to the second floor.

Oh yes, I really knew where I was. And I had no right to be here!

Panicked I jumped of the couch.

Darn it! Just before our trip began the Writer has mentioned there was a possibility for fall out of the Interspace. Error-Sans wasn’t good to clear up behind him when he jumped through the universes. But she said that happens extremely rarely. Lucky me...

Oh boy... I hope she’ll find me soon. At least before the brothers have been coming home. Or were they already...?

  
Wary I looked upwards and harkened to the second floor. Nothing. There was silence deep as death. So I was quiet alone?

Maybe I could use the opportunity and look around a bit? What a shame I hadn’t the key to Sans’ room (or for is lab in the basement, what’s in the end the same). The room of Papyrus was presumably open but all the labels with prohibition sign deterred me.

Unsure what to do, I approached to the infamous sock and started to read chuckling the sticky notes:

 

Papyrus' Note: SANS! PLEASE PICK UP YOUR SOCK!  
Sans' Note: ok.  
Papyrus' Note: DON'T PUT IT BACK DOWN! MOVE IT!  
Sans' Note: ok.  
Papyrus' Note: YOU MOVED IT TWO INCHES! MOVE IT TO YOUR ROOM!  
Sans' Note: ok.  
Papyrus' Note: AND DON'T BRING IT BACK!  
Sans' Note: ok.  
Papyrus' Note: IT'S STILL HERE!  
Sans' Note: didn't you just say not to bring it back to my room?  
Papyrus' Note: FORGET IT!

 

For the fact that it was a dirty sock she looked astonishingly fresh. Whether does Papyrus cowash them secretly and put it down again, so that Sans removed them, eventually himself?

I dangled to the table with the pet rock on top, which was covered in sprinkles. Carefully I tipped against the rock. What if rocks are actually soft but just tense up when we touch them? I shacked my head to this silly idea and to get rid them off my mind. Literally I could hear Sans who asked me how stoned I was. Bugged by myself I frowned and rolled my eyes.

I further strolled to the kitchen, but not without to snitch one of the colored sprinkles of the plate from the pet rock and put it in my mouth. The sweetness of the sugar tickled my tongue and let me smile.

  
The kitchen was, like the living room, in spartan circumstances. A stove and a workspace on the left and on the right side, next to the door a trash bin with full of empty bottles of ketchup, honey and mustard. I blinked confused. Quickly I walked above the red-orange tiled floor to the backdoor, hopefully to find them unlocked. Nope. Poor me. Or Papyrus was plain too thoroughly.

With a sigh I opened the fridge hoping to have luck at least with one door. In the inside were lots of containers neatly labeled „Spaghetti“ and in the door shelf was a half-empty bag of ketchup-chips. Urgs... Cold chips... Nearly as bad as to put ketchup, honey or mustard in the fridge. Hm... This bad habit does not seem to rule here.

  
Unsatisfied with the yield I closed the fridge again and positioned myself in front of the colossally high rinsing. The sink began about eight inches over my head. I had no chance than to shake him unbelievingly. Nevertheless, this was sure, even for Papyrus, too high, let alone Sans...

The sound of a key in the front door and a swelling of babelvoices let me briefly freeze into a pillar of salt. FUCK!

Whimpering I tore open the sink door in front of me and rushed in the saving darkness under the sink. Just in time I could tighten the door and solidified. I hardly dared to breathe during the voices slowly distinguished themselves.

  
„Why are we with YOU once more and not at OUR home?“ boasted Blues baritone voice through the room.

„’Cause we don’t feel like to bend down if we want to reach something in the kitchen“, rattled Edge unmistakable.

“WHAT?!“

Blues voice sounded clearly closer. Fuck.

„NEVERTHELESS, THIS IS NONSENSE“, now chime Tale Papyrus in „THE REASON WHY WE WILL COOK HERE IS BECAUSE WITH MY GREAT SPAGHETTI YOU CAN THE MOST BEEN FILLING AND WE ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING IN THE HOUSE!“

„Same with tacos at ours!“

  
This came directly next to the sink door! I winced involuntarily. Thereby I brought some of the cleaning agents, in which I had to stand myself, to wobble and clatter. Shit!

The conversation became silent.

  
Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit...!

  
I squinted my eyes. What now would came I didn’t want to see, oh no, no!

„IT THE CANINE IN THE HOUSE AGAIN?! SAAAAAAANS! I HAVE SAID TO YOU A THOUSEND TIMES, YOU SHOULD PAY ATTENTION THAT THE ANIMAL DOESN’T COME BACK INTO THE HOUSE!“ shouted Tale Pap in turned away direction.

„ok“, whistled it in simple bass from the living room.

  
Ohgoshohgoshohgoshohgoshohgoshohgoshohgosh....!

  
With a quiet squeak the sink door was opened and I looked exactly in the eyes of Stretch. In bewilderment he stared back. His jaw wide on and his cigarette hold only by magic.

I emphasized my hand to a small wave and pressed myself to a squeaky „Hi“.

  
He blinked once.

  
In this second several things happened at the same time:

While Stretch tried to formulate a reply I felt a cold draught in my back and how a small, white shade jumped over my shoulder directly in the face of the nonplussed skeleton. At the same moment a hand packed me at the shoulder and tore me back in the black darkness and away from the light beyond the sink door. I felt how I fell again in the weightlessness of the Interspace and I had helpless to watch how the portal shut itself.

„Finally, I have you, Hun! I’m so so sorry! The fall might not have happened! I make such reproaches to myself! Ordinarily such a thing never, however, happens only to me, never if I have somebody with me!“

The Writher hold on me with both hands on the shoulders and looked at me with a startled expression in the mouthless face.

„I... Um... nevermind. It wasn’t bad at all...“ I blinked a few times to become clear again.

„What was that white thing...?“

  
„Oh, this was only Toby.” She begun to giggle “I needed to get a distraction around you to be able to get you unobtrusively out and he wanted to go back anyhow again, so…“, she explained with a mischievous smile in her voice and shrugged.

„Are you alright? Should we go back?“

„No, I’m all right, really! What I wanted to say, before I have... well... fallen” I chuckled “I would visit, actually, with pleasure, W. D. Gaster. But I don’t know whether is this generally possible?“

 

 

Epilogue or meanwhile in a specific kitchen in a specific universe:

 

Stretch rubbed his aching skull while he pulled himself together and pushed himself of the ground with which he had closed involuntarily acquaintances, as these stupid cur, err, dog, had jumped into his face.

Had he really seen a human in the cupboard under the sink or did suffer his perception slowly, nevertheless, from his small joint ventures?

Stretch decided to be quiet about his little apparition... And to smoke a few joints less in future. Only to hedge his bets...


	2. Enter the Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where we meet Gaster and the trouble really starts..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> contrary to the first chapter i really demand you to read Writers part first:
> 
> http://the-writer-of-universes.tumblr.com/post/152127353881/got-a-bit-lost-on-the-way

A small smile ghosted over my face. The Wingdings font wasn’t unfamiliar but to hear it was. At least, i’m not able to read Wingdings fluently but if you are so deep with the whole thing on your journey you catch one or an other thing, like some ASL to communicate to a mute Frisk or, like here, to be able to read in Gasters font more or less.

With a shy smile i lifted my eyes back to the formerly royal scientist and asked:

  
„Hello, i hope, i’m not too impertinent if i ask you …what you are doing here after your… entering?“ I had an other question in my mind but in last second i changed it. I wouldn’t go like a bull at a gate.

Gaster tilted his head to the other side and snapped at Writers phone to picked his answer in it. He looked excited? Then he showed me what he had written:  
\- “I do a lot of things! Normally I watch over the other universes through my other me. I… we are split through the whole time and space, if you don’t know.  
Because of this i see and hear more than a single monster is possible to do. It’s literally mind-blasting!”

He chuckled by his own pun… and, was that a wink?! The Writer on my side chuckled by herself. „Well, he’s really talkative this time…“

  
“xx xxx xxxx xx xxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxx?” he asked but in the same second became aware that i couldn’t understand him. But i was sure what he had said so i raised my hand and nodded.

  
„Yes, there is something other…“ I inhaled and exhaled, muttered more to myself than to someone other „Hope he’ll not have my head…“ Then: „Okay… What happened exactly that you got lost? I mean, you’re the royal scientist.. or were till this day. What happened? Did it deal with the CORE? Or was it an other experiment? The one, which is Sans hiding in his lab? What has gone wrong?“ With a flappy heart i was waiting for the response. The face of Gaster changed from a smile to a painful grin and ended by a deep sigh. He bowed his head a little and opened his hand to the Writer for the phone.

She gave it to him but gave me a wary glance simultaneously. Yepp, i know. That could blow up in my face. Lucky me, this time not.

He took his time to write down what he had to say and passed me the phone to read it.

  
\- “There are things in the past, they cannot be explained. Even by myself. I can’t remember all… but I know that the experiment, and no, this hasn’t do to with the CORE, was about the extraction of the last bit of DETERMINATION from the first humans soul. I can’t explain the whole experiment and what i have tried to do… This would be too time consuming, however I want to let you know it was for the best of monster kind and hadn’t included any experiments with other humans or to harm one. This never was my intention, whatever others try to imply.

Sans’ experiments always dealt something with time and the DETERMINATION of human being itself. Some of his works corresponded with my own and thus we decided to fold up them and to work together on it. As the incident happened we have worked together again. I didn’t know that Sans was able to rescue himself till I noticed new space-anomalies in the void when he used one of his shortcuts. He could use them before but after the incident they became a more powerful resonance. I don’t know if Sans is aware of this. But I’m sure he is also a part of the time anomaly as me or the kid now. Maybe he is with that a reason for it.“

  
Wow.. That was way more than i have expected. And such a **sane**  answer, too… Also he hasn’t gone mad at me for my impolite question. And it opened so more unanswered questions. Gnaa! But i had a feeling that it wouldn’t be a good idea to ask something more about.

As i looked to Gaster again he raised his hands in a gesture that invited to ask or say something. His face still showed a light sadness. I felt to apologize.  
„It was never my intension to worry you. I apologize.“ I covered my heart with my right hand and bowed slightly.

  
The voided monster bowed his head in response.

  
„Well.. I have one last question….“ He nodded in agreement. „How do you stay to Sans and Papyrus?“

  
Gasters eyes widened in surprise. With a rapid swipe of one of his hands he blasted us out of the room. Quick-thinking i embraced the waist of the Writer with my arms just before we bursted through the door into the weightlessness of Interspace of the multiverses.

  
„After all, THAT question let’s him freaking out?!“ I shouted, not aware that the Writer shivered and picked some odd fringed strings from us.

„I don’t think it was the question that he had acting like that…“ She whispered and drop the last string into nowhere.

„Hun, i think, we should you bring back into your world… Immediately.“  
Confused i look at the Writer.

  
„What’s wrong?“

„Nothing you must rack your brain, hun…“ Her stars got a low twinkle. Her hands grip sheepishly her monocle and cleaned it with an end of her red bow then she put it back at her face. She sighed but then she braces herself and caught my hand.

„It’s fine. Come on. It’s not far away.“

„What were those strings?“

She paused, obviously not sure what she should answer.

„They were leftovers from…“ the last word she whispered barely hearable „Error…“ Quick she looked around but nothing happened.

  
With a cold shivered wave of fear down my spin i felt how i got nauseous. Error…

„Yeeeeeeah, cool.. Nothing to worry… Of course… Let’s go…!“

The Writer nodded with a serious face and drifted to a small window that widened itself to a door-like frame as she stand in front of it. With a wave of her hand, the other was still clasped with mine, she checked the view.

„Okay. This should be the right world.“ She smiled and stepped through the window, dragged me behind her.

  
Weird… Last time the window didn’t got pixeled…

 

We landed in an area full of fluffy white snow. The Writer struggled for balance but we still held hands and she managed to steady herself. We looked confused to each other. This can’t..

„..be right…“

„Where are we?“

„I don’t know!“ Panic flushed over the Writers face and lighted her stars like little supernovae. I had to cover my eyes.

„S…Sorry… Oh stars! This happened never before!“ With fear she looked around. „It must be an AU, because of the familiar looking of the woods… But which one?!“

  
„Hey, gals…“

  
We cringed simultaneously.

„He,he… no need to jump out of your skin.“

Sans… But what sort of a bloke was he! He wore a violet waistcoat with fluffy turquoise plush around his neck and the hem, a black short top with a turquoise heart print, black slacks and boots that match the greenblue of his plush. Oh, your stars, why?!

I burst into laughter. I had never, ever the idea to enter to Underlust. But… here we are… Oh my…

Sans looked slightly baffled. The Writer on my side was also a little bit confused. Maybe she had never heard about this AU.. And let’s be honest: This was a kind of AU that was more like a concept than a real one and always struggle for existence as an AU. I rubbed my forehead. Truly, curiosity kills the cat.

Anyway at this point it was helpful to know where we are.

„Well, er… Nice to meet you but we need to go right now. Sorry to disturb you by whatever you have done before… So… Bye!“ I turned around and snapped for the Writhers hand again but before i got the chance to run away Sans teleported himself in front of me. Really, really close to me. I gulped and made a step back.

  
„Hey, deary, what’s the rush?“ He let his eyes wandered over our bodies and got a small, wolfish grin.

„Normally i wouldn’t ask… But why are a human and a monster in this godforsaken swath of land? I mean, you are not looking like you would make out all to soon.“ „What?!“ The Writer shrunk back and gave me a startled glance.

  
„I through so…“ murmured Sans „Who are you two?“ He crossed his arms and swayed in his hips with an attentive look. That gesture was so unconventional to the typical Sans-style that i couldn’t help myself and the corner of my mouth twitched a bit. Unfortunately that was enough for Sans to noticed it and to drew his own conclusions.

„Okay, you both will go to the king, right now.“ He snapped with his fingers and the Writer and i got lifted up with our souls in a blue light that covered our whole bodies.

„S… Wait!“ I screamed. Sans raised an brow „What’s up?“ He grinned.

„We don’t belong to here… We…“ I peeked to the Writer. She nodded and added: „We are from an other universe and stumbled in accident in yours… Please, let us go!“

„Hrm… I don’t know if i want to believe you…“ He pulled me near to his face „You know the rules of this world, aren’t you…? Yes… you do.“ He smirked lewdly „I can see it in your eyes. Here’s the deal: I’ll bring you two to Asgore…“

  
„No!“

„Or you’ll get fucked and both can go. It’s your turn, deary.“

„NO“ Synchronously the Writer and I answered. „Ah? So she would..?“

„ **NO** “ we yelled in sync again.

  
Damit! How we could get out of this mess? The Writer turned away her head. The flames of her head became more and more blue and the little stars got so small that you could think they died. What was wrong with her? Was she still afraid because of our wrong turn? I don’t think she saw the pixel at our entering and now she doubted herself? Well… We had other problems now.

„So when this is your answer“ the wolfish grin appeared again „I decide.“

Oh, hell! He acted more like an Underfell version than the one like i know about the Lust!Sans. But he had a normal grin, no sharp teeth… Okay.. no shark-like teeth. What the heck was wrong with him?!

  
„S…Sans, please. Let us go.“

„You had your chance, deary.“ He started to circle around us.

  
Okay. As long as we were blue we couldn’t do anything. Let’s solve that problem first and than the bigger ones…

  
„Do you really want it so easily?“ I asked.

This stopped him from circling around.

„What do you mean, sweetie?“

„To get us… Me… It’s way to easy, isn’t it? I’m sure we are the first really new thing in a long time and to catch us like this is boring. No challenge, no fun at all.“ I shrugged „Let’s be honest: if you get … me this way you miss a hell bunch of fun.“

  
„What let you think i would fuck you?“

„I’m still here and not with Asgore. Also your deal.“

„You’ve blow up the deal, deary.“ He reminds me.

  
„Did i?“

  
„Obviously.“

  
„As i see it i make you a better offer.“

He broke out in laughter.

  
„Do you think i don’t see what you’re tryin’ here, deary? I’ll don’t let you go before i get my fun with you.“

  
„I see. And i don’t alienate you from your plan. I just try to get something out of the fun.“ I shrugged and gave my voice a sexy undertone „Why you should get it all by yourself, hm?“ With a small grin i bowed myself near to him. I didn’t know if my plan would work, at least i had to try.

„Do you think i get turned on by fear or… do you want to lull me?“ He asked in a friendly tone „Well… I think with that voice… I’ll love when you get… vocal…“ He bowed to me with his half lidded look and with that lazy smirk of him. Damn, at the end of the day he **was**  a Sans and this smirk…! I felt i blushed, what let him laugh gently. Then he got a dangerous glance in his eyes.

„We’ve had enough of words!“

  
With a snap of his fingers Sans nailed the Writer to a near tree. She yelped in surprise. In the same moment i was pressed with my back in the snow.  
„Let her go!“ She hissed and the flames on her head flared up so hot and bright that they were burning in the darkest shade of red. The stars flashed in an unholy fire.

„Don’t worry, babe. I deal with you later.“

I panicked. TIME! We need more time! We run out of time!

„Time out!“ I yelled.

Sans looked confused from the Writer back down to me. Had i just said this loud?

  
„I…“

  
A skeletal finger tipped on Sans shoulder.

  
„Excuse me..?“

  
Surprised he turns around and revealed the look to an other skeleton. I sighed with relief. This Sans who was better known as Ink smiled shine to his Underlust counterpart.

„As well as it looks the ladies don’t want to join in your game.“ His glance got serious „Let them go.“

With these words i could feel how the blue magic left my body and the coldness of the snow gripped for the parts there were in touch with it. Nice side effect of his magic, flashed through my mind. I looked with relief after the Writer who pulled herself together just from the ground and followed her example.

In the meanwhile the two Sanses fixated to each other, both with crossed arms.

„What let you guess that’s anything wrong?“ Lust!Sans asked.

„Maybe the screams of that you should let them go?“ Ink replied.

The Writer reached me. Their hands enclosed my face and she whispered in a distraught look: „Are you alright, hun? What did you think you’re doing?!“ She looked back to Ink „Thank stars, **he** popped up!“ I nodded.

„Let’s talk about later.“ I peeked to the Sanses. She bowed assent.

  
„Hey, deary!“ I cringed and turned my head around. „Explain to this spoilsport that you agreed.“

  
„I was not and you were aware of that“ i bit back. He looked back with a lick of insecurity. Hm…

  
„You’ve heard her. I think, it’s time to leave.“

Ink snapped with his fingers and a portal appeared behind him.

  
„Ladies?“

  
The Writer and i hastened to reach behind to Ink. A last look back showed an Underlust Sans, still with crossed arms and a wary look.

„See ya!“ Ink shouted and jumped, a hand on each back of the Writer and me, through the portal that closed behind us.

Hm? There were pixel again?

 

  
„What was that?“ Ink looked back irritated. Also the Writer noticed that something happened.

„Pixels?“ She asked confused.

„It was the same as we entered.“ I explained.

„WHAT?!“ The Writer yelled „So this was… **What**  is this?!“

„Oh?“ Ink looked confused from me to the Writer and back „Your visit in this universe wasn’t planed?“

„No, it wasn’t,“ she replied bitterly.

„How could that happen?“ Ink asked.

  
„Maybe because of… We were with the classic Gaster before and got attacked by Error. I don’t know why he would and how he could find us and.. and…why he had tried to catch us with his strings…?“ The Writer closed in a deep sigh „My magic… she got corrupted. I hadn’t noticed… But i can feel it now. It’s like tiny pricks in my fingertips…“ Her voice got lower and lower while she stared down to her shivered hands. Her flames became a cold gloomy blue.

  
„Errors strings touched you?“ Ink asked „Then i know what happened!“ He shouted.

  
„Don’t worry! It’s like a virus. But a harmless one. In a few hours it would disappeared by itself but i can heal you immediately!“ Said he smiling.  
„What? Really?!“ The Writer twitched her head to Ink.

„Sure!“ He showed his tump up with a bright smile.

„May i…?“ He asked in a softer voice and passed her his hand. The Writer nodded nervously and put her hand in his. Ink covered both with his second and closed his eyes intently. The magic of Ink flowed from his hands to the Writer until she was covered in a light transparent rainbowlike glow.

I felt nervous and looked around with an alert feeling. It had happened to much lately as i could have remained quiet. But there was silence only.

  
When i look back, the glow around the Writer disappeared slowly till it vanished completely.

After that the Writer breathed easily and the stars in her flames twinkled and flashed brighter.

„Thank you, Ink! I feel like a new monster!“

  
Inks smile became broader.

„Aww… I’m always happy if i can help!“ He rubbed the back of his skull.

„Can the human..?“ The Writer turned her head to me suddenly aware, that i was also touched by Errors strings.

„Na… As far as is know, it affects only magic and humans have none. Or do you?“ He asked me with eagerly interested tone in his voice.

„Not as far as i know.“ I shrugged „I’m boring, sorry!“ I smiled.

  
„That isn’t true!“ The Writer insisted „But yeah… You have no magic.“

  
I shrugged again.

„Okay. So you both should back off. I don’t know where Error is but i’m sure he’s not far away.“

„Yes. I’ll bring her back home and take care to do the same…”

  
„Ah, before i forget!“ interrupted Ink „Let me give you something with which you can reach me if it’s necessary… Something you can’t lost easily and is inconspicuous…Hmm..“ He pondered and let his eyes wandered over the Writer from head to toe and back. By the way it was astonishing that she had never lost her monocle. His eyes stopped at the necklace of the monocle and he smiled broader again.

„Do you mind if i will add something to it?“

„Okay…?“

He reached for his giant brush on his back and with a surprisingly rash wipe with the tip of the brush he colored a single piece of the necklace. Than he smiled again, proud of himself and peeked to us.

Curiously I stepped closer. It was a small, no tiny, single pearl shimmering in the deep magenta and cyan colors of the Writer herself.

„How beautiful!“ I whispered.

  
„Thanks!“ he replied still smiling. (How he could not?)

The Writer hold the small pearl closer to her eye, utterly gobsmacked.

„T..thank you, Ink…“ She raised her eyes to the colorful monster „It’s really beautiful!“

„If you need me, touch it and call me. I will hear you, even if you whisper… er… What was your name?“

  
„Oh, excuse me!“ She gasped „I’m The Writer Universe and this is Arejare or AJ.“ She hold her hand to Ink and they shook hands.

I bowed slightly my head to Ink and chuckled.

  
„Well… It was not the way i prefer to introduce myself but i’m glad and pleased to meet you!“ I passed my hand to Ink and we shook hands, too.  
„Nice, really nice!“ He chuckled but got serious again „But you both must go now. As i said, i don’t know where he is but it’s too dangerous for you two.“

„I agree,“ the Writer said and caught my hand.

„Nothing should happen now,“ he added with a nod „Someone must check the mess at classic Gasters place and maybe i can take up the trail. See ya!“ He waved and disappeared.

„Okay, hun. Time to go home. Now for real!“ She smiled.

„Oh yes. That was way to much trouble for one day!“ I chuckled.

  
_" **I dissent..."**_

  
The eye of the Writer widened…

  
„ **NO**!”

  
I felt a push and in a blast out of nowhere i screamed and was spun around. Sharp strings ripped through my clothes and my skin and made sounds like wire cable when they shredded. In a distance i could hear the voice of the Writer but she was too far away.

I dashed against something and got an odd and painful feeling as is slipped through it. A second smash…

  
  
…And i hit the ground…

  
  
The darkness lifted and life welcomed me with a tremendous headache. I groaned. Step-by-step i became aware of the rest of my body. Pain swamped through it and i noticed with each second more and more spots which bit me in burning pain. I groaned again.

„Oh my… Oh poor child! What happened?“

  
I blinked but the light was too bright. At the second attempt i opened my eyes. A blurry silhouette sharpened to a white female goatmonster in a nice purple ensemble with a double-row pearl string and a lighter purple cloche hunkered beside me. Toriel.

Oh boy…

She was still waiting for an answer.

„I… ehm… was fallen?”

„Fallen?!“ She rose her eyes up. I followed her glance and gulped. I looked to a really big hole in a wooden roof. Behind that where darkness. Great…

„You are injured… Oh stars! All those scratches and cuts! Come on, dear. We must patch up you. Can you stay?“

„Y..yeah, i think so…“

  
„What have you looking up there? It’s dangerous. The old cabin should have been torn off for a long time…“ She sighed „It was your luck i had picked here some flowers and heard your crash.”

My brain needed still some time to remember what happened and my headache was painful as before what it wouldn’t made it easier. Which AU was that?

Mob? Mafia? Kinda… I peeked around but there were nobody else. A meadow with golden flowers (Where is Flowey?) and an old cabin. In the distance i recognized buildings and the beginn of a town. Maybe a town… We hobbled in their direction.

Nice. I was stuck here now… But what happened to the Writer? I trembled…

„All right my dear?“

  
„Yeah…“

  
Was the Writer all right…?


	3. De Profundis Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you find yourself busted and a goat mom and a skeleton patches you up...  
> ... and you discover what has Error did to you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As in the chapters before i recommend you to read Writers part first, even if it's not as necessary as in the chapter before (it means, you can skip it but you will miss some fun) http://the-writer-of-universes.tumblr.com/post/153096548076/out-of-the-void-and-into-the-metaphorical-frying

Toriel and I hobbled through the door of her small apartment. It was one of the smaller dark grey apartment buildings near the entrance to the town. The only hint it was inhabited by the lovely goatmom was a balcony full of the golden flowers, collected from the meadow in the abandoned ruins near my crash in the old cabin. But this I figured out later.

Barely through the apartment door, I collapsed and fell to the floor.

“Oh dear!” Toriel grabbed me firmly and dragged me to the next soft surface she found. It was her small green couch, covered with dozens of pillows with the same flower pattern. With a ‘Huff’ she sank to my side and her paw grabbed my sweat-covered face.

  
“Can you hear me, my dear?”

“Y…yes… “ My mind started to slip away.

“Stay awake, please… Don’t fall asleep…. Can you tell me your name? What are those strings? Stay awake, hear me?”

“…reja… I’m… Arejare and…”

  
It took a moment before her second question arrived my mind and then an icy terror froze my spin. It cost me all my strength to warn her: “DON’T touch them! They’re poisonous! Oh stars…Please… Don’t…”

Toriel jerked back by my loud voice.

“B… but they… some stuck…”

  
“ **Stuck?!** ” I leapt up, “Oh, no…they…no. Please… This can not have happened! They need to get out of me! Oh, all your stars, no… no, no, noo…”  
Darkness devoured me.

 

 A high-flare pain in my right arm and a scream awoke me.

“Shh… shh… It’s all right, dear. Calm down, the worst part is over.”

“What…?”

The burning pain slowly decreased. A warm and furry palm stroked my cheek trying to calm me down. I sighed and squinted my eyes as a fresh blaze panged in my head. Oh… and my headache was still here. Hello again… The entire way from the shack to Toriel, a dull and pricking pain pulsed through my head and left only sticky cotton candy-like memories until I awoke again. I couldn’t remember if or how much we talked, I sighed anew.

  
“We must cut out some strings.” The goatmonster broke my chain of thoughts, “Some were stuck in your veins and they have begun to melt with you together as well… We couldn’t stop it. This was the last one, I think… Isn’t it?”

  
The question was directed in a wary tone to a rangy figure with a cracked white head. Gaster? I rubbed my aching forehead. How strange…

“Careful, my dear!” She caught my hand and kept it in her soft, warm paws.

“Hm?” I looked back to the goatmonster and to the still silent, dark and maybe former royal scientist behind her. Deep-red blood splatter spoilt the white of his button-down shirt. The unholy red of my own blood shone on the rolled up sleeves and the bones of his forearms. He was cleaning some strange looking instruments without a response to Toriel’s question. She looked back at me.

  
“They were everywhere.”

  
Everywhere? I looked down myself, lying on a grey tarpaulin with some blood soaked towels and a blanket over my body where bloody spots bloom like macabre flowers…

Everywhere… I flushed… and felt dizzy. With a little moan, I let my head fall back. Blood… So much blood…

  
As if he could read my mind, Gaster finally spoke. His voice a distance, sonorous tone:

“You have lost a lot of blood. I’ve done my best to cut only what was necessary, but I’m afraid there are some more left. One I couldn’t cut or drag out. It’s on the left side of your head but you won’t see it if you cover it with your hair. It is possible that there are more in deeper spots that I can’t extract. I really hope, they are not in your veins…”

  
“Not… Wait…?!” I hesitated, “Why I can understand you?!”

  
The tall monster looked back astonished, tilted his head to left.

  
“Why you should not?”

  
I bit my lower lip but regretted it immediately as I broke the skin and could feel a little, sharp stitch. I could taste my own blood. Great… More bleeding.  
“I don’t know… It was a feeling…” I tried to save what could be saved. Brilliant question, AJ, really. I wasn’t somewhere. I was in an unknown AU and had to be careful what I said. I had to keep my thoughts together. His suspicious glares persisted for an awkward moment that seems to go on forever. Finally he shrugged and put the last of the sharp looking instruments in a shabby old leather bag beside him. Then he concentrated on cleaning his hands with a towel, that a second floating pair held ready.

“Did you touch the strings?” I asked them both. No matter how I was feeling I needed to know that they were okay.

“Maybe I. I’m not sure… I could have when I have carried you?” Toriel replied with a worried look. “But I don’t feel anything different?”

  
“Shit...” I mumbled, with a sigh, but I immediately get a serious look from Toriel.

“Language, child.”

“Sorry… Erm…”

“You said the strings were poisonous? What do they do exactly?” Gaster interrupted me with an expression that could barely hide his curiosity. He had finished his cleaning and now his full attention was on me.

“Well… It’s a little bit difficult. They affect magic. So… I… “ I shook my head “It’s easier if you try to do some magic, but Toriel... Be careful, if you do so.” I stumbled over her name and sent a short prayer upwards with a hope that none of them noticed my second multiverse-traveler mistake in a row. Holy skies, I must be in really bad condition.

  
“Hmm…” Thoughtfully she looked at her paws and, with an undulating billow in the air, she summoned two flickering flames. Almost immediately they pixled and glitched into a negative version of themselves. Their the bright color went black as warm reds transformed into a cold blue with only faint hints of red and yellow within them. They looked like Error himself.

Toriel yelped in surprise and again in pain as the little flames flared up. She tried to extinguish them by clapping her paws together but one sprouted legs, hopped down from her palm and ran around, until Gaster stomped it into the ground.

  
“Wh… **What** in all heaven stars name was **that?!** ” Gaster yelled with an angry look at me. There was a deep blue glow in his eyes as he hissed: “Did you know what would happen?”

  
“NO! I didn’t know what would happen. I… I’ve only seen it happen once before how a monster got infected by the strings… But she had an other kind of magic…” I stopped and pieced together the puzzle, “The magic… reverses itself and turns against its owner, I guess…” The conclusion would fit with Error’s goals also. I trembled. What if I was a living virus now? There were still strings inside me…

  
“How can we heal it, human?” Gaster frowned at me, and cleared his throat. “Uh… I mean…”

“You’re right, I’m a human… And as far as I know it will only least for a couple of hours. But until then, using magic wouldn’t be a good idea.”

“How… did you get them?” Toriel whispered. She lifted her eyes and gazed to me. “How could a … young human get into so much troubles?”

  
I clinched my jaw. I’d known this question would be coming but I had hoped I would have more time… and fewer headaches. In a mindless gesture I pressed the ball of my left hand to my temple and whimpered. A zigzag cut crossed my palm in a burning but harmless way while my head flared up in bright caustic pain. After a few seconds it gradually pulsed into a deep, dull ache with a burning string pricking against my left eyeball from the inside of my head. My eye started to water.

When Toriel saw the tears she awoke from her starring and stroked them from my cheek.

“Don’t worry. You don’t need to speak about, if you don’t want to. I’m not angry with you, my dear.”

Gaster coughed slightly and gave me a look that told me he wouldn’t let me off the hook so easily. I knew he would continue with the questioning when he got the chance to catch me alone.

  
“So what should we do now? You can’t go outside in your condition. And you must rest a bit more. At least, until you get some new clothes. And you will need some food,” Toriel spoke more to herself than to us.

“If you don’t need me anymore I …” But before Gaster had a chance to escape Toriel turned around and cut him off: “Of course I need your help, Wingdings! She can’t go outside as long as she looks human. We need something to disguise her. You know what happened to the last human…” She mumbled the last sentence and turned her face away but I could herd her; loud she said: “Bring me your make-up and something she would fit… And call Sans. We need someone who can slip out of a dangerous situation and take her with him.”

I blinked in surprise. She sounded so bossy. But then I remembered I was in a kind of a mobster AU and of course Toriel, as an ex of Asgore, strong in her own right, was a Boss in all possible kinds.

  
Gaster bowed his head. His face bare of expressions. Then he took his bag and left the room with a silent click of the door revealed his leaving.  
“Well, my dear… I think I will bring you something to eat… Stay here until I’m back. And if you feel better you can take a shower. With a little luck Wingdings will be back shortly so and we can start to prepare your disguise.” She smiled at me and stroked over my hair again.  
“Thank you. But why are you so nice to me? I’m a stranger… A human…”

“You need help… And you… I think it’s reason enough for me to help.”

“But you wouldn’t have had to do it… And now, you got infected with Err…. the strings and it’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry, my dear. It was my decision to help and I’m stronger than I look like,” added she with a smile. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll bring you something to eat.”

With a quiet groan she got up and left the room.

  
I took the opportunity and looked around. I laid on a green and golden yellow carpet, right in front of the green couch where I collapsed earlier. There was a blood soaked pile of red and black at my feet that I recognized as my clothes. My body was still bleeding from a countless number of cuts, red and blue from internal bruising. Looking over the damage, I assumed the bloody mess of cloth that was my clothes was nothing more than scraps.

Almost every inch of the walls are hidden by bookshelves of various heights and widths. This familiar look let me smile. I’ve loved books my entire life and can’t imagine a world without it. However, the title of the books ranged from human fairytales and novels to guidebooks of how to take care of snail colonies, to cooking books. The room was barren of other furniture, beside a little sideboard with a lamp on top. I wonder why are monster households so empty. Did it depend on how much they earned or did they just need more space? Toriel wasn't a small creature, that for sure. I shrugged at my own thoughts and then hissed immediately. My body felt like one big wound and the throbbing pulse in my head made it difficult to think up to the next thing I would do.

While I was idling with my thoughts, Toriel had created a whole tray of deliciously looking food and a pot of sweet smelling tea. She knelt down by my side put the tray with food beside and helped me to sit up. I flinched. It felt like being pierced by a thousand needles. I couldn’t hide my facial expression from Toriel. She hummed in a soft tone to calm me down. I looked back thankfully and eyed the food she brought. I was curious. How would monster food affect me? Would it heal me or was it more like normal human food? There was only one way to figure it out. I reached for the half filled cup of tea.

  
“Be careful, my dear. It is still hot.” She smiled and I wonder how often she got the opportunity to take care of someone. She looked so happy right now.  
“Thank you,” I whispered and smiled back. It felt impossible not to be grateful and feel safe when she was around you.

Despite her warning, the tea was cold enough to drink. The scent and sweet taste reminded me of the scene of sweet violets. I inhaled deeply and sighed in delight. The warm steam of tea was enough to let me felt better.

  
“What flavor is this tea? I don’t recognize it.” I added when Toriel look confused.

“It’s a golden flower tea,” she explained “They are really common here.”

“It smells wonderful… And a little bit like forgotten memories…” She frowned.

“Oh, sorry. Did I say something wrong?”

“No, no, my dear. It’s… a really accurate description for the scent, I think,” she mumbled. I flinched. Oh good god, how could I be so rude? I already knew what happened in her past and still I messed up with such a stupid comment! At least, now I know that in this AU almost the same had happen. Poor Toriel. I wondered which role Asgore would play here…

  
“I’m really sorry if I said something unpleasant… maybe a bad memory?” I couldn’t stop myself, damn. What was wrong with me?

“You should eat something, Arejare. You need it. Wingdings and Sans will be here soon, as well.”

  
“You’re right. Sorry, again.”

  
I sipped the now cold tea and relaxed a bit more. Now the food. I grabbed after a piece of sliced bread with some sort of marmalade on it, that spread a sweet smell of fruits. It turned out it was a raspberry jam. After the first bit, I realized how hungry I was. I ate so quickly I barely registered the delicious meal and hurried to fill my starving self as fast as I could. Toriel smiled at me. Slowly but unstoppable, I felt better. I could felt how I my wounds closed. I sighed in relief. Nice. So monster food would heal me.

As the last scarp of food vanished, a gentle knocking from the door disrupted the quite peace.

Toriel pushed herself upright and went to the door but didn’t open it. Another, more specifically knocking sound: Exact two knocks. I chuckled and so did Toriel.

  
“Who’s there?” She asked with barley held back laughter. A voice, muffled through the door, said:

  
“adore.”

  
“Adore who?” Toriel asked again.

  
“adore is between us. open up!”

  
The goatmonster and I laughed loudly as she opened the door.

  
I lain at an inconvenient angle and couldn’t see anything, but I could hear her ask in Sans and Gaster. In a small snickering voices, she and Sans exchanged other puns, until Gaster had enough and interrupted them both with a harsh “There’s not time for that!”

“aww, Dings. if not now, then when? take it easy. it couldn’t be as bad as…”

  
I’ll never supposed to know how bad it could be because Sans stopped immediately as he saw me. The small skeleton shut up and froze where he stood.  
“Aw, it couldn’t be SO bad. I feel almost better!” I pouted.

“if that’s better than before, you where supposed to be dead, kid.”

“Are you **kid** din’ me?” I tried to relax the still frozen skeleton who continued to block the way into the living room. It doesn’t work. I clenched the hem of the blanket.

  
Toriel gingerly pushed him into the room. He slid to my side to get a closer look of my battered body. The little pinpricks in his dark eye sockets scanned from here to there until they stopped and squinted for a closer inspection of my head. He reached for something above my left eye but stopped before he could touched it.

  
“should they be there?” He asked in a wary tone. I sighed.

“No. But it couldn’t be changed anymore.”

Only now did he dare to look me in the eyes. His eyelights shrinking to distant glooming pinpricks, like fireflies in the dark night of his eye sockets. Fireflies in a gloom of light cyan blue gloom.  
The sound of shuffling feet snapped us out of our paralysis.

  
“what happened to ya?”

  
“I fell…” I thought a moment about my words and add: “Literally.”

  
His grin became more skeptical as his probed further.

  
“is that so?”

  
I nodded, trying to keep my expressions neutral.

  
“ya looked like someone who’d had a brush with the death just hours ago, but ya don’t get that way just from falling...” He raised his left brow bone “so tell me, what happened  f o r   r e a l   n o w.”

The deep black of his eye sockets and combined with the drop in his voice sent a burning flash of fear down my spine. Holy crap! That voice… if you hear it for the first time you wonder how could anybody resist to urge to run away or hit their final reset. Damnit!

“Sans, that is enough.” Toriel was my savior again. “Don’t push her. She will talk when she is ready. Have you guys brought the make-up?”

  
Sans glared at me for a moment longer than he turned around, his static grin became friendly like before.

“sure. Paps sent ya a dish of his latest spaghetti. wanna try a bite while we ‘finish’ her?”

“I **dare** you!” She frowned. “Why are you so untrusting?”

“why ya not?” He asked angrily. But then he sighed. “bo… Toriel. why do ya do this? ya don’t even know her… and she’s a human.”

  
With the last sentence Sans glanced at me. His voice grim and deep. I felt awkward. Not only because Sans played his creepy card, but also I felt gross. I needed to take a shower and use the bathroom. Meh… That’s stuff you wouldn’t see shown on TV and merely read in a book, but this was real. And though monster food became energy without needing to pass your system, I had a real human breakfast (or whenever I fell down. Boy… Was it really just this morning that I have had breakfast? It’s felt like weeks…) I wasn’t even sure (but I supposed she wouldn’t) if Toriel had something like a toilette in her bathroom… Oh stars…

The longer I thought about it, the more pressing became my need of a bathroom... I hadn’t even been listening to the rest of the conversation around me and suddenly I blurt out loud: “I need to shower, right now! I mean… When I get made-up it shouldn’t be on dirty ground, right? Toriel…? Please…?”  
“Oh, of course, my dear!” She jumped up: “Come on. I will help you up.”

With fast, practiced handhold, Toriel quickly raised me up while I took care to hold the blanket wrapped around me. As I passed by, Gaster starred at me like a dangerous but fragile experiment. When I catch his eyes following me, he hissed with a light blush of dark blue on his cheekbones: “What? It’s not like I haven’t seen you n… undressed before?”

Now it was my turn to blush. I didn’t want to be the first who look away, but Toriel, carefully, yet forcefully, led me out of the room. We went through the short hallway, passing a closed door until we finally stepped in front of one door with a silly little chibi-goat face on it. It had a big, goofy smile on its face. I glanced away to the left, and noticed the corridor opened to the kitchen. That could be useful for later.

“Do you want me to stay and help you, my dear?” She was trying not to look worried.

“Thank you, but I think I can stand by myself. But should be anything wrong I’m sure you wouldn’t be far away,” I said, smiling. She nodded, opened the door for me and flipped the light switch. I sent her another smile and went with slow steps inside. Closing the door behind me I took a deep breath and looked around.

  
The bathroom was empty as I expected. But, thank you all stars, it has a toilette! It rested beside a huge and still comfy looking bathtub with lion feet. I sighed in relief and took my shaky legs to the so eagerly anticipated seat.

After I satisfied my needs, I slowly made my way to the slim mirror, hidden between the door and a shelf with typical bath equipment. A small peek at the articles let me chuckle anyway: “MTT delightful honeycomb shampoo for extra fluff”.

The little distraction couldn’t last longer as I finally stood in front of the mirror. With an anxiety writhing in my chest, I unfolded the blanket – and winched. I knew I got wrecked, but not that I looked like thrown through a shattered house of mirrors…

I felt dizzy again and had to remind myself to breath. I hadn’t noticed I’d stopped. Carefully I traced with my fingertips over my bloody crusted cuts and deep purple bruises. I could feel the difference between a cut caused by my fall or one caused by one of Errors strings. The latter cut deeper than the others and were cold and damp to the touch. The deepest ones had odd blue-purple veining, that branched out like I had survived a lightning strike.

The same odd marks crossed the left side of my head and ended at my temple. With the beat of my heart the veins pulsed in a soft glow of teal. I shivered. It was that same beat that sent little picking needles through my head. And there was… something else… But I couldn’t put a finger on it. I looked at myself and frowned. Maybe I would it figure it out when my headache got better.

  
Then I saw my empty ears. Where were my earrings? They were fragile and very old so maybe they broke and I… lost them? Oh stars, no…! Damn… I looked away and sighed, dumped the pain deep inside me. They were everything that was left from my family… But… I took a deep, calming breath. I had to focus.

Once, I’d gotten familiar with my busted body, I noticed that I had gotten a new haircut as well and groaned. Yes, I was being a little bit vain about the length of my hair and so I wasn’t pleased to saw my precious long, dark hair was slashed into a kind of undercut on my left side. Surely the pulsing string was the culprit. Thankfully my hair had been in a high knot when Error hit me and so there wasn’t any damage to the top layer. I sighed again and took a short look at my backside, which – surprise, surprise – was also cut in pieces and covered with bruised marks, that were becoming darker by the minute watching them… I hummed in exhaustion. But I couldn’t let myself linger on it. One step at a time. First, taking a shower; then getting out of this AU; and THEN kicking Error’s ass so hard that he flew through time and space.  A n d  w h e n  I’ m  d o n e  w i t h  h i m   even Gaster will look more complete than him.

If only could my dizziness go away, damn!

  
But first of all: Showering…

I stepped inside the cabin.

  
Speaking of Error… What – and especially how much – should I tell Gaster and Sans? Because, they WILL ask. I sighed again – I’ve been doing that a lot, in the end, this might become a bad habit. Nevertheless I would have to consider answers, which I could give them…

 

 When I got out of the shower, I saw a bunch of neatly folded clothes on the rack, near the sink. Toriel must have left them while I was showering. Curious I rummaged through the clothes and picked a large white button-down shirt, a loose-fitting suit pants (they where to large but fitted in the wide), a boxers, a few suspender and a long, worn-out and anthracite coat. I would need a bra too but there was no one either. I sighed (Oh, yes, this is definitely becoming a bad habit!) and took another look through the clothes to see if anything could help me out. Finally I found a simple grey t-shirt that would normally be too tight, but it would work as a temporally bra-surrogate. I also found a dark green tie at the bottom of the pile and I decided to give it a try. I lost some time trying to tie the tie until I made a halfway decent knot. With a laissez faire look, I gave myself a mischievous smirk in the mirror - and giggled. It was a good feeling. The clothes helped me feel a bit better, more like myself again. I took a deep breath and headed out of the bathroom.

When I reached the living room, I saw Toriel and Gaster sitting on the couch while Sans sat with crossed legs in front of them. They hadn’t noticed me yet and chatted in such a light and relaxed way that I felt like the intruder that I am. I cleared my throat so they wouldn’t think I had been trying to eavesdrop them. Immediately the mood changed. It made me nervous, but no one prepared to attack me. Okay, Toriel and Gaster weren’t, but Sans’ glare was a little harder to read. It waved somewhere between suspicion and curiosity. Not that Gaster greeted me as a friend but anyway he was polite enough to hide his feelings behind a neutral face. Strange enough that it was Gaster and not Sans who was hiding… Maybe it was caused by this kind of AU.

“Arejare, dear. You look much better! I’m sorry we couldn’t offer you some better clothes, but I hope, they will do for now.”

“Of course! Thank you, Toriel… and… you both.” I avoided to naming them, unsure how I should call them. Gaster or Wingdings? Sans was Sans, but… They were both so suspicious and wary. Besides they tried to remain aloof, but I didn’t buy it. And I was sure they knew it. The show was for Toriel. I sighed inwardly, smiled, and kneeled at Toriel’s side.

Still each move hurt a little bit. I wouldn’t allow the pain to keep controlling me. Nevertheless, it wasn't a real safe place at all like Toriel had tried to imply.  
A skeletal hand appeared in front of me. I looked surprised at Sans, who offered me his hand. His gaze hidden by half-lidded eye sockets, which let him look way more relaxed than he surely was.

  
Slowly, I took his hand and we shook them.

  
“Sans. Sans the skeleton. pleasure to meetcha."

  
Taken by surprise I replied:

  
“Hi, Sans the skeleton, I’m Arejare the human. Pleasure’s all mine…” Somewhere deep in my fandom-contaminated mind, I pulled out the next lines, “Tibia honest, first, I thought you would try to pick a bone with me. It rattled me down to the bones. It was a skele-ton of work to compose myself again and it would be marrow of me to think of you this way, I don’t think you would have the heart to do this. And I won’t tell you any fibulas, when I say I wouldn’t have the guts either. But I’m afraid the puns are ulna used up. So I’m really hippy if you would find this a little humerus. And after all of this I hope it made Sans to you.”

When I finally closed Sans busted into laughter, joined by Toriel. When I had started, he had looked confused, but with each pun, his grin became wider and wider.

  
“Oh my stars, I’m so DONE with you both, right now!” Gaster cringed at our relieved laughter. Well... This Gaster wasn’t on the pun-train or I went to far for him.

“i think it’s hilarious. i’m in,” Sans smirked at Gaster who shot him a glare that clearly screamed ‘You betrayed me!’. But Sans doesn’t care and shrugged. He turned back to me and said: “i liked the last one,” and winked.

Gaster crossed his arms. His flying hands clenched in fists, as he glared and grumbled in my direction.

Once Toriel could catch her breath, she smiled at me with pride. I felt as if I had passed a secret test, and I couldn’t resist one last pun to Gaster,  
“Oh, please, don’t give me that sternum look. They’re real rib tickler!”

  
Sans giggled again.

  
“okay, kiddo. i think we can work together. anyone who can appreciate a good pun deserves a chance.”


	4. De Profundis Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When monster have plans and a human don't want to play the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a direct continuation from the last chapter and as far as i can see, the next one or two chapter will be as well. So go on and have fun ^^

“So… Tell me, human. Why are you here and what is your plan?”

Gaster watched me with his wary glare again. He didn’t trust me. I couldn’t blame him, an odd human with even more odd poisonous strings all over their body, which affect monster magic appears at a place, which is normally human-free. I was dangerous in his eyes – and he wasn’t wrong in the end. But not in that way he might think about me. I would never kill a monster on purpose. Even to hurt a monster was far away from my intention – except for Error. Maybe in self-defense I would hurt, but never… **never** kill.

So what would I to do now?

“I… have to hide myself… and to wait for someone. We… got separated and I don’t know if she even presumed where I could be and I have no chance to inform her… “ I lifted my eyes and face up to Gaster and Sans “The strings shouldn’t rest in me or melt with me either. They should disappear or go back to their owner. He attacked me with them. Tossed me away from my friend… She couldn’t do anything. It happened so damn fast…” I sighed deeply… Toriel patted my shoulder.

“Don’t worry, my dear. We will find your friend and you can meet her again. What’s her name?”  
I considered for a moment. I was sure, they would help, but still…

“Writer of Universes. She’s a fire monster with magenta and cyan color. She’s wearing a monocle on the left, a long red scarf with a bow in her back and has and golden upside-down heart-necklace…”

“fire monster, hm? well, maybe I know someone who could know her…”

I bite my inner lips not to blubber again. Surely Sans talked about Grillby… But he can’t know where Writer was, nobody could know. I hoped she was well... Damn, Error! When I get his fucking ass, he…

“We should prepare her now. It’s not much time left and maybe somebody has seen how Toriel and the human went in. “

“alright. knock yourself down, bro.” With these words, Sans crossed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, while he leaned against the couch.

“No way, Sans! You’ll be instructed to help!”

“Dings, three monster for one face? Isn’t that a bit too much? less is more, bro,” he winked.  
Gaster growled. “I’ve operated on her already. Now it’s your turn to do something.”

“i’m here just the jump out, remember?” He blinked to Gaster with one open eye. But the taller skeleton retorted with a grim glare until Sans unfold himself with a sigh and turned to me.

“okay, sweetie, let’s revamp ya...”

I blinked. Did he just call me…? 

 

They decided to make me paler than I already was… And they had some colored contact lenses as well. I was astonished. But when they started to discus how much they would cut my hair I had to intervene. At least I had to hide the most of my hair under a green fedora with a purple feather from Toriel (She explained the feather was a hat-needle and pinned my hair with it under the hat) and my odd string-marks (hidden by a streak of my hair, much like Gaster had suggested) got a match with a yellow contact lens in my left eye, while the right one stay without a lens.

“Why do you take a yellow one? Wouldn’t be a white one scarier?”

“yeah, but we don’t want to creep out the folks, kid, just to keep them at a distance.”

“And why yellow?”

“the others are more human-like and we want to avoid that.” I nodded.

When I was finished I took a look in the mirror in the hallway. I was nearly white-faced, grey shadows highlighted my cheekbones, my eye sockets were dark like the eye sockets of the skeleton monster and my lips were purple-black. The yellow contact lens glowed in an eerie light out of the shadow of the fedora. I don’t look like a monster, but like a human neither.

“ya ready, kid?”

“Think so…”

“Less is more, human.”  
Gaster caught my cautious look in the mirror.

“Then you should stop calling me that. I’m Arejare. Or AJ.”

His mouth corner twitched.  
“Well, then… Let us go, Arejare.”

“Be careful, my dear,” Toriel hugged me and I inhaled deep the sweet smell of golden flower-tea and the hint of cinnamon.

 

Out of the building I wonder why we not just teleported. It would be much easier without to show my face on the street…

“if anybody saw ya, it’s better they see ya leave this place for Toriels sake. so, chin up, kiddo. at worst, i’m still here.” Sans winked at me.

“Did I say it loud?”

“nope, but it was obvious… Say, kid, why ya hanging around with a fire monster?”

“I’m not sure, if I want to talk about it on the street… Why don’t you two explain me how it works here? I was never in this corner of the world…”

“he, yeah… welp… don’t get killed and try to not kill sums it up.”  
I waited if there would be more, but Sans and Gaster kept silent.

“Is that all?” I asked skeptical.

Sans shrugged and Gaster did not even granted a reaction to me. Nope, he didn’t like me.

The chill of the, on first sight, empty ruins of the abandoned city bites my face. I wonder why there should be anybody here. But Gaster and Sans escorted me like we were in a crowded mass of potential foes. Finally I was able to notice how tall or small both were. Gaster was taller than me, maybe five or six inches, while Sans was smaller than me for three or four inches, still a bit smaller than the other Sanses I met. Maybe the same height as Ink. I chuckled to myself.

“’sup, kid?”

“Just a funny though”, I took a deep breath of the wintry air. We were in the ruins, but it was cold as if we were in the forests of Snowdin “It’s everywhere so… chill?”  
He smothers a giggle “ya get far earlier way more trouble than ya think, kid. Let’s hope the Royal Guard has enough bones and don’t look out for to pick one with us.”

“I don’t want to fight...” I mumbled, didn’t realize I said it out loud.

“ya will not. That’s why Dings and I are here.”

“Are you my bodyguards?” I joked. But Sans simply nodded.  
I raised an eyebrow.

“I mean, I don’t want to fight but if I have to, I will. I will not kill but I’ll fight. It’s not like I can’t do anything…”

“i didn’t say ya can’t. ya will not. do ya even know how the different kind of magic works? and don’t forget ya lil problem with those strings. it’s better when ya keep it up to my bros and me until we know more about ‘em, kiddo.”

I grumbled internal. We will see… But for now it hat to play my role.  
“Bros?”

“ah, yes. ya haven’t met Papyrus yet. he’s the youngest, Dings is obvious the oldest.”

“Wouldn’t say it’s obvious. You guys are hard to read…”  
Sans snorted while Gaster sighed, clearly bugged. I looked from Sans to Gaster and back until Sans had mercy with me and explained:

“maybe ya’ noticed that our voices sounds a bit… weird. it’s ‘cause of our fonts. we speak literally in a different language all the time, but it’s barely hearable. ya would see it if we write something or so. and Dings hasn’t the handiest font of us.” He chuckled.

“But I can understand him perfectly?”

“sure. he’s always translating.”

Gaster glimpsed at me. Now was my mistake earlier even more badly… Shit.

“So, how do you sound like?” I asked him. The addressed monster looked at me again, cautious and with narrow eyes.

“xx xxxxx xx xxxxx xxxx.”

I raised both eyebrows. I felt remembered when I met the classic Gaster earlier. Sadly he didn’t talked more and had used Writers phone to communicate, but it was still familiar. Suddenly I remembered what the classic Gaster had said about himself. They were all connected and so he could watch the different universes… maybe I found a way to let Writer and Ink know where I was! But first I had to explain what’s really going on… I thought about it one more time. On the other hand, this Gaster didn’t act like the former royal scientist he should was. Was he a scientist at all?

“ya look rattled to the bone, kid. and that mean a lot, ‘cause ya were covered in flesh,” Sans observed each twitch in my face.

“what’s the matter, bukko?”

“I… have an idea but I’m not sure if it would work… I need more time... and information.”  
He raised his brown bones in surprise “about what? and what does Dings voice deal with?”

“Smart cookie, “ I mumbled.

By his name, Gaster tossed another glance at me, but he concentrated his attention again to the street before us. Urg, great, now he was also listening…

 

Without notice we had dig deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of concrete blocks and houses. We moved through deep street gulches like they were snow-covered woods. Cold, uncanny silence. The peculiar silence around Toriels place was nothing against the soundless vacuum that we entered now. Each step, each whisper of our clothes sounded eerily loud. I became nervous and pricked up my ears. Even the Skelebros became very quiet and the little white pinpricks in their eye sockets rushed from here to there. Everyone was on alert.

A few yards away, in our backs, something rumbled like a piece of a stone kicked against a wall. With a gasp I turned around, Sans with me. Gaster turned halfway until a second later a rumble of a trash bin in front of him got his attention back.

“Well, well, well… What have we here? Visitors, huh? Ohh… I’m really pleased! So you’re the one everybody’s talking about?” A sinister laugh resounded from the alley on the left.

A monster in a coat (?) of white feathers and horns of a ram sauntered out of the alley, followed by a grey female cat monster and a yellowish fish-like monster with purple gills. I took a fast glance back: a seahorse-like monster (Aaron, is that you?) and a blue dinosaur monster blocked the way. Crap…

“Huh… you’re not really talkative, hm?”  
The feathered ram-monster made a few steps in our direction. Sans shoved himself slowly in front of me.

“watcha guys want?

“Just a little chat with our new neighbor, my pale pal… Say, it is true that a human came with the old goat-lady, two skeletons visits her after and now we see three lovely skeleton monsters here… But are you really **all** skeletons?”

“aaand…?”

“And I think it’s funny. A human is a valuable commodity… I’m sure if someone find one they should use them for the greater good. First for smuggling and after that, Asgore can have it. He’s always looking for ‘em. You guys know that… We just want to make some profit before Asgore can get them. No big deal…”

“so yo absolutely sure it’s a human and not a monster, i’m right?”

“Yup.”

“and you’ll let us pass if we pass it to ya or we’ll have to fight?

“Sure thing… I knew you’re guys are smart. Now…”

“nope.”

“What..?”

“no. we don’t do it. no chance. sorry, not sorry, asshole.” Sans shrugged in a layback manner.

“In that case…Feli, Coral…” The ram monster snipped with his finger and the monster to his left and right dashed to us, a crowbar and a club swinging.  
Before they got even near, a wall of bones darted out of the ground, smacked the cat monsters chin and smashed the crowbar out of the hand from fish-Coral.

A fast glimpse to Gaster showed a similar wall of bones.

“Get her out, numbskull!” He yelled.

“i’m on… FUCK!”

The leader jumped over the bone-wall, his white wings a perfect parachute, while he shot magic red arrows between the bone-bros and me. The same second when he landed, he caught my left arm and jumped out of the ring. I could feel, how some of the sharp bones simultaneously toss at the flying ram, cutting the air millimeters from my face and through the wings of my kidnapper. He screamed in pain but didn’t drop me. We landed in the alley.

“Be quiet and I don’t hurt you,” he hissed in my ear, a hand on my mouth and his other arm around my waist, dragging us deeper in the darkness of the alley. I could see how Gaster and Sans had to doge and fight against the four other monster who tried to prevent them to run after me.

No, no, no… This can’t be happening! FUCK! What could I do?! I was so done with being everybody’s plaything! FUCK IT!

My stumbling legs gave me the idea. I tried to bring my own legs between his to let us tip over – with success!  
Ram-bo grunted under my weight and I rammed my elbow in his stomach. With a gasp he twitched and I could lift me up and run a few yards, before he caught me again. We felt to the ground and wrestled.

“Damn, slippery like a fish! You’ll not run away again, when I’m finish with you!”

I saved my breath for better than cursing and tried to grab his balls. I wasn’t utterly sure if I had the right part in my hand until a high-pitched yelp confirmed I got him. When I clenched my hand tighter, he yanked and whimpered. But he managed to crawl one of his feathered claws around my neck and tightened it until my sight became black corners and I could barely see through the white brightening stars in front of my eyes. I felt how my grip detached and I couldn’t do anything.

A bone, the stars knows if Sans or Gaster has tossed it, hit right near my head the ground and missed my head by only a few inches. Ram-bo was still busy with himself and strangling me so I caught the opportunity to snatch at the bone. I managed to break it out and hit, more by accident, the temple of my opponent in the same strike. Ram-bo flagged out long enough that I slipped free from him and pushed me up, in my hand still the bone. It was at one end sharp broken. The monster under me stirred groaning and I had made a quick decision. I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and whispered in his ear:

“You’ll never do this again…” Then I let him fall back while his eyes widened in fear. “P… please, mercy!”

"Do I look like someone who spend a creature like you?“ I raised my arm. Ram-bo winced and yelped while I thrusted with all my strength the bone into soft, warm flesh. A whimper left his mouth and he looked with wide widened eyes incredulous at his arm. It was pinned to the ground. Then the pain dropped in. I bowed me deeper over him and whispered eerie smiling:

“Don’t do this ever again. Or ill will find you… and I  w i l l  end you…” My glare froze him from his curling at the ground and fixed his eyes with mine:” Geddit?” He nodded.

A scuffling behind me let me jumped over the monster and I turned around, ready to face the next attacker.

“he, no need to jump out of your skin, kiddo.”  
With a sight I calmed down. Sans and Gaster stood shoulder to head side by side. Sans’ hands in the pockets of his coat, Gaster with crossed arms, one of his floating hands in a gesture of thoughtfulness at his chin. Somehow his look made me angry and I felt a need to defense me.

“How I said, I will not kill…” But before I could end my sentence Gaster interrupted me:

“Do it.”

“What?!”

“Do it.”

“Why? He…”

“He will reveal that you are a human. If it’s not already an open secret.”  
I gave him a bewildered look; unable to combine what I have heard with my moral compass and everything I thought I knew about Gaster. And I was so goddamn angry!

“I will not kill him! I’m **never** going to kill anyone!” I hissed. Before Gaster could replies, Sans intervened:

“you should, buddy. It’s safer for everyone, especially for you. At least, what does count a life or two?” He shrugged.  
I shook my head in disbelieve. How…

“It’s kill or be killed. That’s how it works here. No more batter. Do it!” Gaster snarled with a dangerous growl.

“No!” My anger rose. I couldn’t believe what I should do. It reminds me so much of Underfell, but…

“Are you dumb? You’re almost did it. Now end it and give this creature peace.” The monster to my feet whimpered. “After what I can see from here, he will never fly again. It’s an act of mercy. So DO IT!”

“No. You will not make me to kill him, nevertheless what I have said to him. T h a t  i s  m y  l a s t  w o r d.”

Both jerked back – in surprise, I thought irritated. Why…? I felt a hint of dizziness through my new flared headache. No time for that!

“How...” Gaster shook his head and begun anew “Last chance. Do it or I will do. There is no way he will survive.”

“No.”

Gaster sighed and in a blink of a second a row of purple (purple?) shimmering bones run through the ram-monster – and stopped barely an inch before my feet. I hadn’t stepped back. Not because I was so chill, it was because of my pure consternation. The tall skeleton gave me a sinister grin. With a well-known woosh the monster vanished and left only some dust and bloody spots on the ground between us.

“welp… if that’s all we should back off now, before we get some more ‘neighborly greetings!”

I shivered and took a deep breath. Musty and dry, the air gave hints of the dust and I got a bit nauseatic for a moment. I closed my eyes and suddenly I had to fight back tears.

A slight grumble from Gaster let me glared at him. I swallowed the upcoming sob and calmed down. Sans was right. It wasn’t the right place and not the right time either. Our discussion about the morality in this world could wait until we reached a safer place.  
  
After a half hour with no more complications but the frosty silence we reached an area where the air was filled with the scent of water and the buildings where not as high as before. It was still urban but with a confusingly touch of nature. I was sure we where not far away from a river, even I couldn’t see it. It wouldn’t be long until we reached an old, shabby warehouse and finally I could hear water babbling nearby.

Since we entered this more calm area, I was constantly turning my head from left to right and back to memorize characteristic features everywhere. If I had to say longer I have to find my way alone, if it was necessary; whatever the Skelebros had said to Toriel. Also I was simply curious. This Underground was so much different from the other ones! I really want to know it better. A mobster AU! There were not many of them in the deep endless of the Interspace. All the more I wonder why I didn’t recognize it already. I peeked at Gaster, who rummaged about a key ring with an unexpected amount of keys out of one of his pockets. Usually Gaster would only be a member of the Skelebros if he was in a Mafia AU but I was pretty sure this was Mobster. It missed the touch of Italian allusions, beside Papyrus‘ love of spaghetti, but this was normal for a classic-based brother-duo. But then why was Gaster spooking around?  
Finally the creepy gooper had managed to open a small door at the side of the warehouse and slipped inside, deep bowed because of the low high of it. I considered for a moment, oddly uncertain if I should follow. But Sans laid his hand in my back and guided me inside.

How curious. We went through a dark tunnel with stale air. I could barley see my hand in front of my eyes. If this is an entrance that is usually in use why it’s so musty?

“it’s alright, bud. we take a shortcut.” Sans caught my thoughts again. His grin became wider, genuine: “my other bro is really cool and i think he’ll be delighted when he gnocchi you’re here.” Sans winked at me and I chuckled. The sight became better. Also it became warmer. “Thank you fiori help…”

“Dear stars, must you two start again with the puns?”

“If I had a penne for every time I’ve asked myself that same...” I responded to Gaster before Sans could say anything. The tall skeleton stared in disbelief at me.

“You didn’t just do that…”

Yeah, I think that will be my thing while I’m stuck here… It’s not Papyrus who I want to annoy with puns; it will be Gaster, hehe. I felt almost pity… Almost.  
Sans laugher followed us into the large room. As far as I could see the inside of the warehouse was split into two and we were in the back part. The other was separated with a wall of big boxes from the floor to the ceiling. Right on the opposite were stairs to an area up and some went down to likely a cellar. In the middle of the room was a living area with a well-known couch (well, some things never change…), a table and worn out big armchair. The kitchen area was open to the room and in it was another well-known appearance, complete with a chef’s hat and apron, that rummaged through it. Without turning around he yelled: “SAAANS! DID YOU JUST ANNOYED OUR BELOVED BROTHER WITH YOUR AWFUL PUNS AGAIN?!”

Uh, he was louder than I thought!

“nope, bro. not this time. this honor belongs to our new guest…”

“A GUEST?! OH SANS, PLEASE SAY ME YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY INFLUENCED THEM WITH YOUR BAD HABITS!”

“hehe, wasn’t necessary. she’s already a punny gal.”

“SHE?” Eventually Papyrus took a huge pot from the stove aside and turned around.

“HOLY CANNELLONI! IS THAT…”

“It’s a human, indeed, Papyrus. And our latest mission. We have to keep an eye on her until she meet her friend again,” Gaster interrupted with a still grumpy face.

“WOWIE!”

Papyrus’ face turned back from Gaster, who let himself fall into the chair, to me and Sans, still standing near the tunnel entrance. Before Sans and I could say a word, Papyrus made a profound bow and nearly run to us with wide steps while he introduces himself: “I’M THE GREAT PAPYRUS. FEAR NOT, DEAR HUMAN, I AND MY BROTHERS WILL PROTECT YOU AND BRING YOU WITH YOUR LOST FRIEND TOGETHER!” 

Heh… And he was smarter than the cliché gives him credits. He reached us and grabbed my hands with his own surprisingly soft, squeezed them gentle and said smiling: 

“I’M SURE WE FIND YOUR FRIEND IN NO TIME… OH, HEY, DON’T FROWN!” he intervened as I must gulp to fight my tears because of all his friendliness “YOU NEVER KNOW WHO COULD BE FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOUR SIMLE!” Papyrus added and I had no chance than to smile and then to laugh because of his silly, flattering words. Oh my… What a Papyrus!

My laughter made him laughs with me, and he drag me into the living area and to the couch. 

“PLEASE, MAKE YOURSELF A HOME WHILE I, THE GREATEST PASTA-CHEF PAPYRUS, WILL PREPARE MY BEST WELCOME-TORTELLONI TO CELEBRATE OUR NEW FRIENDSHIP, NYEH HE HEE!” With these words he ran back into the kitchen and set a new pot with water on the stove. Oh my… I chuckled…

“he’s the greatest…”

Sans had managed to sneak behind me and now he propped against the backrest, arms crossed a skosh too near to my head; his gaze with a loving look in his eyes at his brother. Well, another thing, that might never change.  
I risked a look at Gaster, who had hidden himself behind a wall of an open newspaper. Interesting… “New Home Newspaper”. Yeah, Asgore was still bad with names.

I looked back to Papyrus. Maybe I could help…

“stay.” Sans hand laid on my shoulder, withhold me from getting up; his eyes still on his brother. How he was able to do that permanently?

“i am a keen observer.” He winked at me, free of an accent. But the next words were in his normal tone again: “he would refuse ya help and we’ve other things to do, kiddo. we need to talk.”

“Yeah, but ‘bout what exactly? There’re a few points which I want to pick a bone with you.”

“oh, do ya wanna fight me, kid?”

“Do I have a reason for it?”

“maybe… maybe not. we’re ya bodyguards, sweetie.”

“Could you both stop hate-flirting and we can discuss where we should accommodate her?” Gaster interrupted us with an annoyed snort. Sweetie? Hate-flirting? What the hell was going on?! Maybe Gaster was right. I don’t want to overstay their welcome.

“The couch will do it and I’ll try to find tomorrow a new place, so...”

“ **No**.” Surprisingly all **three** skeletons squashed my plans in unison.

“YOU CAN STAY HERE!”/ “don’t be stupid, here is the safest place for ya!” / “You wouldn’t survive a single day outside.”

“Really, hu… Arejare. You are not ready yet to face the outside. Beside, we must check first who knows about you and also about your friend. I doubt that… Writer Universes? Want you back in little pieces. Also Toriel would behead us if something would happen to you.”

“I’m stronger than I look like. Also…”

“but ya refuse to kill. that will kill **you** , if no one is near ya to rescue yo ass, bukko.” Sans winked “also I don’t want to jump from here to there for nothing than to pick ya up and bring ya here, ya got me so far? it’s easier if ya stay here.”

“SANS, YOU LAZYBONES! YOUR LAZINESS IS NO ARGUMENT THAT SHOULD BE RECIVE ATTENTION!”

“it’s true, but okay.” The small skeleton shrugged. Gaster grabbed his head in a way that told from a never-ending story of pain, grief and sorrow. I had to smother a giggle.

“and if the other arguments can’t change ya mind… ya haven’t to hide yo face under paint. can’t imagine ya like to grease the Royal Guard the whole time wit’ yo sweet cheeks, right?” A wink concludes Sans’ little speak. Boy… Are they all so flirty or did I pick a good day?  
On the other hand Sans was right. I don’t like to wear a painted mask the whole time. But that shouldn’t be an argument for me to stay either.

“I INSIST ON THE FACT THAT YOU REMAIN, HU… AREJARE? I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS CAN’T ALLOW THAT A FRIEND…” “Mission.” “A FRIEND!” Papyrus glared at Gaster “WOULD STAY SOMEWHERE ELSE THAN HERE WITH US, WHERE ARE THE SAFEST PLACE AND THE BEST PASTA IN THE WHOLE UNDERGROUND!”  
I chuckled.

“How could I resist such fierily declared arguments? Okay, I’ll stay. But I really don’t need more than a blanked and a pillow for the couch.”

“LEAVE IT UP TO ME!”

“Pap, Dings and i have already spoken about that. she will get my room and i’ll sleep on the couch.” That caught me off guard. When have they discussed this?

“What? No! That is really not necessary!”

“it’s the best solution. we’ve really different times of comin’ home or leavin’. also the sound out of the kitchen could bother ya. plus we had a line of defense between ya and the outside.”

“Also I couldn’t just run away the second I’m alone, right?”  
They didn’t answer but that was answer enough. Well… I wasn’t angry about it. They don’t know me.

“BUT SHE COULD SLEEP IN MY ROOM, TOO!”  
Papyrus stomped out of the kitchen again.

“No,” I shook my head, to surprise of the others. Without it saying loud I understand why Gaster and especially Sans didn’t want me too near to Papyrus.

“I think they have their reasons why they have decide that way and I trust them, that they know what they do.”For those words I earned even more surprised looks from all three skeletons. Well, I couldn’t reveal my true knowledge. A fizzling from the stove called Papyrus back.

“So the dice haven been fallen… Hu… Arejare, I have to check your wounds after the meal. In the meanwhile Sans can prepare his room.”

And as if on cue Papyrus called for us to prepare the tables, because dinner was almost ready.

“I still have a bone to pick with your guys,” I whispered, before I went to Papyrus at the kitchen. I didn’t want to know how their expressions were after my words, but I could see that I didn’t had a chance to talk about that at the moment. Perhaps I had to talk with both separately. I wouldn’t let me drag like a doll on strings at their own fun and we had clearly to discuss the moral compass and that I wouldn’t overthrow it only because they don’t believe that there were no other ways.


	5. A light in the dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn that we shouldn't trigger others magic

With curiosity I tried Papyrus’ torteloni and was both astonished and relieved that they were rather tasty with a sauce of tomatoes and other vegetables, which fits very well with the uncommon filing of rice and meat. It wasn’t the first time I wonder where the monster in Underground gets their ingredients for their food and drinks. On the other hand it was magic food so it was satisfying on your tongue but actually merely nothing in your stomach. I smothered a sigh.  
  
While dinner, Papyrus was the one who spoke most. He talked about the issues he got with a customer who had tried to scam him by pain with false gold… Well... After the story I decided never to try something like this with him as long as I wished to keep my bones together like they are and not in a really new and painful order. The ease with which he spoke frightened me.  
Almost to the end of the meal Papyrus asked me where I came from and I nearly spit my water. The question came so random and out of the blue, that I almost answered without thinking about my words.  
  
Suddenly three pairs of eye sockets looked at me with an attention, that awoke the urgent need to flee.  
  
“Well…” How should I explain? I don’t want to disturb the normal flow of the timeline in this universe. At least as less as possible. Even my pure existence was an interference for it. Also I didn’t know how they would take the fact of traveling through different universes was possible… And I was rather sure that minimal Sans could sense it if I would lie…  
  
“I’m from above. Writer was the first monster I met and she introduced me to others while we traveled. Until we met someone who had other plans I don’t know which,” I added, aware of the questioning looks.  
  
“Who was it?” Gaster rested his chin on one of his hands. An elusively shimmer in his eyes. I shrugged. I didn’t know it exactly but Error was the only one I could imagine.  
  
“You didn’t know? How did the monster look like?”  
  
Thin ice…  
  
“He was mostly black, wore also black clothes and tossed deep blue strings to catch and hurt us. We managed to flee once but it didn’t last long. I don’t know what happened exactly. Do you know him?”  
All three shook thoughtfully their heads.  
  
“what did ya remember?” Sans lent back in his chair, eyes to the ceiling.  
  
“From what?”  
  
“from the beginning of ya lil’ adventure. every detail could help.”  
  
“When I first entered the Underground?” He winked.  
  
I took a moment to recall my first steps. Should it be the little episode on the beach or my ‘fall’? Although the skeleton brothers where at the beach, I wasn’t sure if it was aboveground or not. There was simply not enough time to take a look to the sky, when an angry, edgy skeleton chased you with sharp bones to scare you away. But how explain, that you were literally almost crashed the sofa or their alternate versions in an alternate universe?  
  
“Come on, human. I’m rather sure it’s not **that** long ago.” Gaster narrowed his brown bones. Quite interesting effect with the huge crack in his right eye. It looked like two tectonic plates shifted over another. I almost await a little crushing noise but nothing happened.  
  
“Actually… How long did I passed out?”  
  
Gaster bones executed the feat to frowned a bit more.  
  
“As far as I know I was called immediately. I think a few hours… Four, five?”  
  
Now it was my turn to frown. All those events… I sight inwardly. It felt like weeks, months even. Funny…  
  
“Well then… Everything happened maybe a day ago at max.”  
  
Papyrus chocked at his tea, he was drinking and the chair of Sans made a loud thud, when his owner pushed forward. Gasters brow bones jumped upwards as his only movement.  
  
“that’s… quick…”  
  
“Normally I take my time to make my moves…”  
  
“looks like you couldn’t await to move into trouble…”

“It was not like I called for it; it came to me with a lot motivation…”  
“UH… PLEASE, COULD YOU BOTH STOP WITH THE PUNS? THIS IS SERIOUS!”  
“For such a short time you take this all very… easy. No questions or… fear?”

“I have a high tolerance threshold. I accept what happen and deal with it as best as I can. Why bothering and panic? It doesn’t help to solve the problem.”  
The tall and lanky skeleton nodded.  
  
“It’s still impressive… and you call this flame monster your friend?”  
  
“Yes,” I said simply.  
  
“SO WOULD THIS MEAN WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS AS WELL?”  
  
I smiled because of Papyrus’ warily tone and clenching hands.  
  
“If you want and accept me to be your friend – of course, Papyrus! Also who could resist such a winning manner like yours?”  
  
The tallest skeleton reached over to hug me with a cheerful ‘NYEH HE HEEE!’ before Sans or Gaster had a chance to react. Over Papyrus’ shoulder I could see how Sans’ grin became a bit more endeavors and Gaster shoot a flat stare to Sans. Of course...

“So... Now would be a good moment for your questions, human. You must have plenty…” Gaster said with and almost genuine smile.  
  
“OH, WE SHOULD SHOW THE HUMAN…”  
  
“Pap, i know your plans are fantastic but right now let the human speak,” Sans winked.  
  
“UH…” Papyrus groaned and felt back in his seat.  
The pair of curious eyes examined me. I slid slightly in my own seat and thought about something to ask without being too suspicious.  
  
“Well… Where am I exactly?” Actually a genuine questions. Maybe they could give me a hint how this world is maybe called.  
  
“Isn’t it obvious?” Gaster asked “In the Underground.” His eye bone arrived a dangerous high level.  
  
“Sure thing… But how do you call this place… City… Whatever...?” I specified my question, tried to sound not too annoyed. He really had a talent to upset me.  
  
“we call it home,” Sans smirked. I rolled my eyes. Of course… Well… Gaster wasn’t the only one who could annoying me.  
  
“SANS IS RIGHT, WE ARE IN ‘HOME’. THERE IS ALSO A CITY CALLED ‘NEW HOME’, FAR IN THE EAST, BUT WE ARE HERE IN ‘HOME’. THIS PARTICUAL QUARTER IS SNOWDIN.” With a divine smile Papyrus looked at me. I tried to smother a grin but failed. Damn… Asgore got me! Well… at least I knew now that the Ruins are expanded and Snowdin was a part of it. I wonder how the other parts of the Underground were changed.

“Are there other cities? Beside ‘New Home’ of course!” I added fast, before one of the monsters could mock me another time.  
  
“we’re at the far east of ‘Home’. after that there’re more some scattered houses in an area called ‘Waterfall’. kinda to swampy out there to build more. anyway, ya shouldn’t strolling around there. the head of the Royal Guard has her house in Waterfall.”  
I sighed.  
  
“Doesn’t sound like Writer would be there, so no worry.”  
  
“Than any idea **where** she could be? You said you were friends… Did she said something?”  
  
“Not as I remember.” Time to change the topic. “But she mentioned, that humans live dangerous if they are found in Underground. Why is that so? I mean, I got a hint by the little incident earlier, but that doesn’t explain why humans are so… valuable.”  
  
When I referred to the encounter I saw from the corner of my eye how Papyrus narrowed his brow bones and gave Sans a quick glance. This shrugged it away and focused back to me while Gaster cleaned his throat and gave me a really serious look:  
  
“It’s your soul, that’s value so much.”  
  
I tilted my head with puzzled look. Not that I was really clueless. But it seemed like humans falls here more often than somewhere else and that in this AU monster treated their so urgent needed souls different than other universes.  
  
“You must know, that our emperor Asgore try to destroy the Barrier, which keep us prisoned here. There is normally no way to flee. You have to stay. You can’t go out, can’t fight for yourself, for that blatant injustice to trap us here. No way. Not for monsters.” With each word Gasters voice became more quiet and strangely hollow. Yet his eyes… They pierced in mine as if he conjure long forgotten… no… **banned** memories “But humans… Their soul is so strong. If a monster can get their hands on a humans soul they can simply go in and out as if it’s nothing more than a Sunday stroll… As long as you know where you can slip out. That’s why human souls are so precious.” He lent back, his long, elegant phalanges dipped softly together “Of course they don’t last for ever. A strong soul might let you pass fifty times, a lesser maybe only up to thirty….”  
  
“But why don’t you collect the souls and break the Barrier? It seems, that humans fall very often.”  
  
“They don’t. And if a human is caught, their souls will used to smuggle things from above instead of taken to Asgore. It’s more valuable if it is how it is than to change.” Gasters voice dripped from stifled anger.  
  
“One more reason I wonder why you don’t take me to Asgore but instead help me to find Writer and more, hide me from others.”  
  
“we’re not Asgores nor anybody else. and i would lie if i said we don’t take advantage of the whole situation.” Sans dropped in with a dry smile.  
  
“And that are…?”  
  
“NOT YOUR BUISNESS.”  
  
Surprised I turned my head to Papyrus. I didn’t expect this sentence coming from him. He smiled apologetic.  
  
“AS YOUR FRIEND… I HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT YOU FROM KNOWLEDGE THAT IS NO GOOD TO YOU OR COULD BE DANGEROUS!”  
  
“How is that, Papyrus? I don’t want to stumble into something because I don’t recognize the evidence to keep myself out.”  
  
“WE WILL TAKE CARE, THAT YOU DON’T”, said the skeleton and the little smile, tugging at the end of his mouth, told once more that he had a quicker and not so innocent mind as people gave him credit. I smothered a grin.

“Beside that, how will we proceed in the meantime?”  
  
“Simple. Sans, you still have to prepare your room and you, hu… Arejare, will come with me for a check-up.”  
Sans groaned at the sudden bossy tone of Gaster but Papyrus, all cinnabun again, dragged the small skeleton from his chair and up the stairs. I followed them with my eyes, smiling. They are too precious in action.  
  
“Come.”  
  
The simple command made me shiver. His voice soft but strong in their sonorous timbre. Even it was neutral spoken, it made me a bit flustered. But before he could repeat himself I shook my head, amused by myself, and stood up to follow him down into darkness.  
  
_______________________  
  
  
I had expected a laboratory but I was greeted by messy shelves with books and all kinds of shiny objects between them. Crystals, polished stones, tiny mirrors reflecting the candlelight which was the only real source of light, and many more things I couldn’t detect well enough.  
  
“Do you have only candlelight here?”  
  
“Of course not. But normally I don’t use a light to come done. It’s for you.”  
  
“Good night sight, hm?”  
  
I turned my head in wonder and could barely stop myself from touching a beautiful piece of glass or crystal, shaped like a golden jellyfish dancing weightless in the ocean. How got he unharmed such a thing down in the Underground?  
“Sit down here.”  
  
Gaster pointed roughly at a worn out but still comfortable looking armchair. I sat down and watched him rambling from here to there to pick with his own and two pair of floating hands diverse instruments from shelves and dark corners while he quietly twaddled. One of his floating hands (a seventh one?) must have flipped a switch, because in a flash a flicker of neon lights burned my eyes and I turned my head away from the sudden brightness with a pained groan and shielded my eyes with my arms.  
The monster to my side made a disapproved sound.  
  
“It’s not even that bright.”  
  
“It’s bright enough.” I lowered my arms and squinted for Gaster. He was right. It wasn’t that bad. “Why here and not above, where’s more light?” I asked curiously. For a moment he was silent.  
  
“I thought it would be more comfortable for you when you have to put off your cloths.” He gave me a quick glance before he returned to grab a few last things. Another pair of floating hands begun to coil the sleeves of his shirt.  
  
“Oh…”  
  
I didn’t expect him to be so tactful.  
  
“I will start with the one on your head. I think this gives you the most trouble?”  
  
I nodded. Damn all their too good observation skills! I fiddled a bit with the pin but after a few seconds I could drag of my hat and stroke my hair away from left. Yet I was careful I still flinched when my fingertips crossed crusted flesh and caused a new flash of high flared pain. Only a second later my headache became worse again.  
  
Gaster watched me the whole time and noticed my quiet groan as well as my frowning. When it still hurt so much I wonder if it will become better someday. Just now my left half started to became numb. I told this Gaster and he hummed in return and set the mirror behind the candle a little bit different to light up the area of my head better. Then he covered his hands in a slim layer of deep blue magic, that let my eyes become big and begun to check the wounds without granting my wideeyed starring any attention. Was he mad, that he didn’t protect himself?! He knew how the strings affect magic!  
  
“Uhh… Are you sure you want to touch the wounds with your bare hands? You know how…”  
  
“I know.” He glimpsed into my eyes and focused back onto stroking and pressing carefully over the side of my head and tried to check everything that might cause the sudden flared pain.  
  
“Okay…”  
  
After a few moments he made an unsatisfied sound.

"There might be come from the inner parts, where I can't reach them."

I sighed loud: "I thought so. Can we do anything to make it stop? I don't want to be a running virus and threat for each monster, crossing my path."

"I already did what I could do. Even I'm not a professional. My strengths lay in other domains."

"Are you a scientist at last?"

He turned his eyes to look at me. Quiet again. Frowning.

"I have my quirk and my interests. But I'm not a scientist. Why do you ask?"

"Because you act like one. All your demeanor... It's not as if you be only a normal… mobster, I think? Especially your surgery of the strings. I'm rather sure you wouldn't be that good, if you wouldn’t have a kind of a scientific background.."

"If you say so." He looked away, rummaged through the instruments he brought to his side. What was it with this Gaster?

"When you are not a doctor. How do you know what you are doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean right now. You are looking at me, checking me for my wounds. And you say you are not a doctor... not even a scientist at all. How do you know what you are doing?"

He blinked in surprise. Was he really so unsuspicious if it came to himself? I frowned myself.

"I know what I do."

"Yeah, but where comes your knowledge?"

He frowned again and suddenly he flinched like me before. Like the agonizing flash of a headache would torture him. But as sudden as it came as quick it passed. Only left a dizzy looking Gaster looming over me. When he realized what he was doing he jerked back with an unsteady look in his eyes.

"W... You should go now." He turned away, his hand clenched tight into the wood of his desk beside us. One of his floating hands lay on his forehead. Gaster was trembling.

I blinked. Should I try to find out what's going on? But actually I would prefer if someone else could look for him. He looked rattled to his bones.

"Should I send one do..."

"Go."

"But..."

"I said GO!"

I jerked back. He hissed his words with an unholy purple glowing in his eyes. What had I triggered? I hesitated for a moment. Should I really leave him here?

"I..."

"O U T !"

His voice lashed loud, too loud, through his labyrinth. Not much was left from his once so luring timbre and I was highly remained of Sans voice when he had examined me at Toriels.  
In a loud blast the neon lights shattered and sharp shining shards splattered on the workspace and us. I screamed, but surprisingly almost no shards hit me. I looked above and saw a little flock of his floating hands had shielded me from the glass.  
  
“ **Now** …!”  
  
The monsters husky voice caused my heart to skip a beat and I decided it was best when I go. Even I wasn't complete sure if I should not took the opportunity to learn more about this Gaster form this universe. Maybe I would never get this chance again. Something was wrong here and I wouldn't know what it is when I left him now. I took a shaky breath:

"This pain, which you have right now... I know the poison of the strings somehow triggers it. It reverse magic against its owner... But you look like, as if it does something else to you. What..."

Two pairs of floating hands grabbed me firmly and lifted me out of the chair up into air.

His voice sent frozen spears down my spin:

"If you not immediately left, **I w i l l n o t g u a r a n t e e y o u w i l l d o i t i n o n e p i e c e… Do you understand, _human_?** "

The purple glow radiated like a steaming corona around his eyes. His trembling became heavier. He looked like in deep pain but also like he could barely keep himself from literally falling apart. I nodded. The monster turned away from me. The hands dropped me and I landed hard on the ground, a few yards away from him. They had dragged me already out of his circuit in a safer distance. The purple glow embraced now his full body, a perverse halo alike. I stumbled up to my feet. I would have to find my way out myself. Fortunately, but also eerie in their numerous sight, were all the mirrors and reflection objects shining in the same light that brightened behind me and led my way out of the cellar. Up to the next level I prayed I would find Sans and Papyrus soon and without scaring them. I had no desire to get dusted by a frightened skeleton monster when another maybe needed help.

"Hello?"

The stairs had guided me to a second floor, into a slim wooden hallway with three doors awaiting me in dim twilight.

"we're here, kiddo!"

Sans muffled voice came from the third door. I groped my way down the hallway and opened it.


End file.
